April 14, 2010
On Wednesday, April 7,
2010 a
select panel of St. John's University alumni who majored in History
and went on to forge successful careers in a wide range of
professions shared their stories with current students at the
Alumni Insider's View…St. John's College History Career Paths on
the Queens campus.
Photo gallery
The Alumni Insider's View…Programs enable St. John's University
students to obtain real-world knowledge about a chosen profession
and/or field while drawing upon the professional experiences of
some of our most successful alumni. By serving as panelists,
speakers and moderators, alumni provide students with keen insights
based upon years of experience within their individual professions
and careers.
Alumni panelists at this valuable mentoring event included:
Roberto Saavedra '02C, '06G
Dean and Social Studies Teacher
Leadership Institute, South Bronx
Georgios Spanos '07C
Sales Representative
Empire Surgical
Tarik Turner '98C
Senior Vice President Sales Trading
Institutional Equity Trading
FBR Capital Markets & Co.
They were happy to take advantage of an opportunity to return to
alma mater and offer advice to the current students. They spoke of
the misconceptions that many students have about the career
possibilities available to History majors, described how their
experiences at St. John's helped to prepare them for their career
and offered students information about what to expect after
graduation.
"I think my
experiences at St. John's, especially the people whom I met and
helped me when I was a student, made me want to come back," said
Spanos. "I feel a sense of responsibility to come back and make
sure I do the right thing for the University and the current
students. I'm proud of being a St. John's alumnus, and I'm
trying to give back as much as I can."
"I'm here to tell the students about my life after graduation,"
remarked Saavedra, "and how the teachers and experiences we
encounter here will impact us for the rest of our lives. The
University is beautiful and in many ways very different from when I
graduated. It's nostalgic to be back!"
Students were grateful to the alumni for offering firsthand
information about the various careers open to History majors,
including many that the students may not have considered on their
own when considering their professional options after
graduation. "I was hoping to get some insight about possible
careers for History majors," said junior Julia Winters, "and now I
have a better idea of what I'll be able to do in the future."
Senior Michael Fufidio was able to identify with the alumni who are
today where he hopes to be in the not-too-distant future. "When I
see alumni who were History majors and have gone into great
positions, I realize the many different ways that they made their
degree work for them. These are successful people who were in our
shoes not too long ago, and that gives me hope for my own
future."